Book Review: A Not-So-Silent Night by Verlyn D. Verbrugge

Sent to me as a complimentary copy from Goodreads.com, A Not-So-Silent Night piqued my interest, as it presented some very interesting ideas to ponder during this Advent season.  Dr. Verlyn D.Verbrugge has written a slim yet interesting treatise that urges his readers to take another look at the birth of Christ.

Traditionally, Christmas has been celebrated as a time of joy, peace and light.  Verbrugge takes a different viewpoint.  If you consider why Christ came into the world, His birth ushered in a new era of spiritual and physical conflict.  The heralding angels should really be seen as soldiers of a heavenly army, declaring their readiness to their Commander in Chief.  Essentially, "Christmas is the beginning of war." (p.74)

While I felt that Verbrugge was a bit heavy-handed with his depiction of Christ's birth as a death-scented occasion, there were a number of points made that have made me appreciate this holiday in a deeper way.  His portrayal of the trials that Mary and Joseph had to endure as social and familial outcasts was very compelling.  I will never look at their diversion to the animals' stable in the same way again.  I also found the comparisons made between Genesis' Tree of Knowledge and Christ's cross to be very interesting.

There are many angles to the Christmas story that I have never considered before, and this concise book clearly presents them in a scriptural, deliberate way.  It is certainly worth 98 pages of reading to enhance your appreciation for what God has done for us in the birth of Christ Jesus the Messiah.